The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-09-07
THE RAILROADS.

JUSTICE FIELD, of the United States su-
preme Court, rendered a decision, at San
Francisco, declining to make an order COM
polling Senator Stanford and others TO answer
questions propounded by the Pacific Railroad
Commissioners, and also refused to give the
commission access to the books of certain con-
struction companies. Following is sum
mary of Judge Fields decisions:
The Pacific Railway Commission, created un.
der act OF Congress OF March 3, 1887, is not
judicial body. IL possesses no judicial power.
IL can determine no right Of the Government,
or of the companies whose affairs it investi-
gates Those rights will remain the subject OF
judicial inquiry and determination as fully as
though the commission had never been created,
and in such inquiry its report TO the President
OF its action will not be even admissible
gated. IL Is Il mere board OF inquiry, di-
rected TO obtain information upon certain
Investigations TO the President; also,
TO lay the same before Congress in
the progress OF its Investigations, and in fur
the aid OF the courts OF the United States in
requiring the attendance and testimony OF
witnesses and the production of books,
that the Circuit or District Court OF the United
States within tho jurisdiction OF which
contumacy or refusal OF any person to obey
subpoena TO him may issue an order requiring
such persons to appear before the Commits
sioners, and produce books and papers, and
give evidence touching the matters in question.
OF all rights OF the citizen few are OF greater
importance or more essential to his peace and
happiness than the right Of personal security,
and that involves not merely the protection OF
his person from assault, but exemption of his
private affairs. books, and papers from inspec-
ton and scrutiny OF others. Without the en-
loyment Of this right. all other rights would
lose half their value. The law provides for
compulsory production in the progress OF judi
cial proceedings or by direct suit for that pur.
pose Of such documents as affect the interest
OF Others and also in certain cases for the seiz-
of eliminating papers necessary for the
prosecution OF offenders against public justice,
and only in one OF these ways can they be OBJ
tanned and their contents made known against
the will OF the owners. In the recent case Of
Boyd VS. United States ll6 u. S. 6l6l the Supreme
Court held that the provision Of a law OF Con-
gress which authorized the Court Of the United
States in revenue cases on motion OF the Gov
eminent authority TO require defendant or
claimant to produce in court his private books,
invoices, and papers, or that tho allegations OF
the attorney respecting them should be taken
rs confessed, was unconstitutional and void as
applied to suits for penalties or to establish
forfeiture OF partys goods. In kilbourn vs.
Thompson l13 u. :. lG6 we have the decision
of the Supreme Court Of the United States that
neither house OF Congress had the power to
make inquiries into the private affairs Of
citizen
A New YORK dispatch says that after long
conference of capitalists at the Office Of
Drexel, Morgan & Co., the following was
issued by the firm named: "A preliminary
contract has been executed between the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company,
Barring Bros. & Co. and Brown, Shipley & Co,
London, and their allied houses on this side.
This contract provides for the negotiation of
S., 000 600 Baltimore and Ohio consolidated
5s and s., 000 GOO Baltimore and Ohio preferred
stock, for the purpose of paying off the entire
floating debt OF the company and placing it
on sound financial basis. The con-
ditions are as follows: l. The verifcation Of
statements, etc. as made. 2 That the man
agement Of the company shall be placed in
competent hands, satisfactory to the syndi-
cate. 8. That satisfactory contracts shall be
made between the Baltimore & Ohio and the
other roads for the New York business, which
shall remove all antagonisms between them
on the subject, and insure the permanent
working of the Baltimore & Ohio in entire
harmony with the other trunk lines; also
avoid the construction of expensive parallel
lines north and east of Philadelphia The
houses interested on this side are Drexel
Morgan 4 Co., Drexel & Co., Brown Bros &
| Eidder peabody A. Co